Davies Turner has announced a new seasonal Full Container Load (FCL) shipping service between China and the UK via the Northern Sea Route, utilizing the sailings provided by the Sea Legend shipping company.
Operating between August and October 2026, Davies Turner’s new Polar Silk Road service will provide importers with an alternative to conventional ocean, rail and air freight.
Operating to an almost weekly frequency, the service will offer a transit time of just 21 days from Ningbo to Felixstowe, significantly reducing lead times compared with traditional ocean freight while remaining more cost-effective than rail and air services.
The seasonal program has been developed to help businesses improve supply chain agility during the peak shipping season by providing a faster ocean solution without the premium cost associated with air freight.
The service will see Davies Turner consolidates cargo from six major Chinese ports, including Dalian, Fuzhou, Nansha, Qingdao, Shanghai and Taicang at Ningbo before sailing directly to Felixstowe. From there, containers can be distributed efficiently to destinations throughout the UK and Europe via Davies Turner’s extensive logistics network.
Unlike conventional Far East-Europe services that transit the Suez Canal or route around the Cape of Good Hope, the Polar Silk Road travels via the Northern Sea Route, dramatically shortening the sailing distance and reducing overall transit times during the Arctic navigation season.
“Global supply chains continue to demand greater flexibility and resilience,” said Tony Cole, head of ocean for Davies Turner.
“By offering this seasonal Northern Sea Route service, we are expanding the multimodal options available to our customers. The Polar Silk Road provides an excellent solution for time-sensitive shipments that need to arrive faster than conventional ocean freight but without the higher costs associated with air transport.”
The launch forms part of Davies Turner’s ongoing investment in its China origin network and reinforces the company’s commitment to providing innovative, multimodal freight solutions that enable customers to optimize both transit times and transport costs.
The Polar Silk Road service will operate on an eight-week sailing program during the Arctic shipping season from August through October 2026.
(Image from Davies Turner)